Acadiana Gardening: Canna lilies' colorful foliage easy to handle

3:29 PM,
Jul. 26, 2013

Tropicana, or cannas, can add colorful detail to gardens.

Written by

Ann Justice
Acadiana Gardening

QUESTION: There are clumps of ratty-looking old canna lilies growing on our property. What would we need to do to clean them up, or should we just discard them?

ANSWER: Cannas (often called canna lilies, although they are not lilies) can provide a lot of landscape interest with very little attention. They are available in a wide range of flower colors and plant sizes, from giants to dwarfs. Some of the newer selections, such as the Tropicana series, have lovely variegated foliage that is even more attractive than the flowers. You may want to check them out and add some of the newer varieties.